Spend penny to let public use toilets, businesses urge council

The lack of public toilets is an embarrassing problem for many Dubliners, a business group has saidGETTY IMAGES

Businesses in Dublin city will consider opening their toilets to the public provided that they receive suitable compensation in their commercial rates, a representative group has said.

The idea was proposed by Mary Freehill, a Labour councillor, who recommended that cafés, bars, restaurants, and pubs receive discounts on the money they pay to Dublin city council in order to provide the facilities.

She said the “disappearance of public toilets” has caused distress for many Dubliners and that it has become a serious problem for people with medical conditions as well as young mothers.

“Generally for shoppers in the city, they find themselves very often in an embarrassing situation where you’ve got to go into a pub or a café or something like that and they’re…